Nopony's Hero
by Valzoa
Summary: The proper sequel to Nopony in Ponyville. NiP was just a fic written as a non-brony reviewing the first season of Friendship is Magic at the time. Now, I play with the realm and various fan lore to build on what Faust created in my own way. Our Nopony returns, or rather the girls re-enter his life. How will he react when his reality and very identity are called into question?
1. Return of Harmony

Shane sighed as he sat at a table at a coffee shop. It had been a year since his little trip, or was it a dream to sort out his crap. He couldn't tell anymore. He began to wonder if he had imagined it all. He sighed as drank his coffee. He had been seeing so much saturation of the culture and it was impressive, even as he watched some clever minds take the concepts and play with them in insane ways. As he pondered this he could have sworn he heard someone whisper, ' _Do you miss them?'_

He looked around, wondering if he had finally lost his mind but upon seeing no one he decided to keep it to himself. Didn't want anyone else thinking the same thing. He sat there pondering the question briefly and he sorta nodded in thought. It might have been a fever dream of some kind, but it had felt so real at the time. They weren't like him… well most of them weren't… but they were good girls. He just grew up in a darker world than that. Days you went hungry, sometimes so cold that it would cut you to the bone. Trust no one and understand that the world is unforgiving. There is good, but it is only by embracing the madness that you could get through the day. He sighed as he looked at his black gloved hand. The leather was old and worn, but still holding strong. It was as he began to lose himself in these simple thoughts that AJ arrived, putting his coffee down with enough force to get him to jump.

AJ laughed, "You are getting all reflective again. You really need to relax. You haven't been yourself for awhile. Less grumpy and bitter. Hell, you even sat and watched an episode of MLP with me." Shane nodded, just shrugging, "See, I didn't think that not hating things would ever give you peace. I mean, you do realize how many things you hate with great intensity, right?"

Shane rolled his hand, "Yeah, Yeah. Look, teasing me isn't going to make Monk watchable. OCD is not a punchline and disfunction like that isn't good to idolize." He mumbled, "Fun mysteries though." Before drinking his coffee as AJ pointed a finger accusatorially. "Look, not everything is perfect, and not every dumb thing is any good. But, why hate something like MLP. It shows in the early episodes that I've seen that the writer honestly gives a damn. The whole thing doesn't feel like toys trying to sell a cartoon and more like a cartoon trying to sell a cartoon. When love is put into something, people will be drawn to fund it."

AJ laughed, "Yeah right, sourpuss. Fine I'll let you keep being grumpy. I've got stuff to do. I just saw you chilling out here and figured I'd kill some time with you. See ya!" His friend walked off with the coffee waving over his shoulder as Shane waved back without looking.

Eventually, he finished his coffee and with a sigh he got up to go throw it away when a voice that sounded familiar came from behind him, "There you are. Do you know how long I've been looking for you?" He turned to look with a raised brow and saw a girl with multi-colored hair, a blue tanktop and acid washed jeans looking at him. It as subtle but he swore her eyes were purp…. His face lost all color as he tried to convince himself he was just confused and that this girl didn't know him. "What is your damage? Come on!" She motioned him to get closer as she pulled out a phone, "Yeah? Well, I found him. I won't, now just get everyone together."

He laughed awkwardly, "I think you are mistaken miss…" He drew out the pause as if to fish out her name.

"I can't believe you forgot me! Then again I suppose you were rude before too. Must just be a default setting. I just don't see how you could forget the coolest flier in all of Equestria." As he heard this, he felt himself getting lightheaded and then the world fade to white for a minute before going black.

When he opened them next, his heart froze in his chest for a minute as a girl with very familiar pink hair was in his face with a big old smile on it, "He's awake!" This time however, he didn't feel the urge to punch her as much as he felt sudden panic as if he had finally lost it. He looked around and saw that he was in the apartment he was renting. The second thing he noticed was the girl from before getting chewed out by her friends. The final thing he noticed was that each of the girls was easy to identify given the circumstances.

This time, he took a deep breath, centering himself and deciding to turn into the skid. Putting on a gentle smile he asked, "Could you get off of me, Pinkie?"

She smiled back, "Not this time, buddy. I'm under orders from AJ to keep you here until we figure everything else out." He narrowed his eyes at her as she did the same thing in return, scrunching her nose and declaring, "Staring Contest, go!" Figuring it would put her in a good enough mood to let him move freely in his own home, he played along, making his glare even more intense as though it would knock her clean off of him, her matching in kind. This kept escalating and escalating until the girls turned to see the two making monster faces at each other in a hilarious manner. This caused Dash to begin laughing aloud and Twilight to giggle when Applejack motioned her head. Pinkie laughed, "You really are good at that, Justice." As she scrambled off of him.

That wasn't his name but he would roll with it. As he got up, he saw the brief remaining moments of Pinkie getting a dirty look from Twilight. That was… interesting. Still, rolling with it. "Alright, so… we are going to assume that my trip actually happened… and that multiverse theory is a thing. What brings you ladies here? Did you miss me?"

Dash scoffed and teased, "As if anyone would miss a grump like you."

Rarity sighed, "You abandoned the clothes I made for you in the middle of the woods. Do you know how hurtful that was?"

Fluttershy smiled softly, "The bunnies missed you something fierce and I have a lot of stories to share." She then looked down with embarassment, "But, I'm sure you know about those already."

Before others could go on, Shane smiled softly at her, "I'm sure you could tell them better than I heard about them." Okay, so they seemed to know about the show… he wondered if that was Pinkie's doing or not, but hey, at least he didn't have to worry about them disappearing because of it.

Applejack just tipped her hat in respect, clearly not wanting to remove it even though she was indoors. Twilight laughed awkwardly, "I just figured that since our last meeting was in my world on… less than good terms… that I would come visit you and try things again."

Pinkie jumped onto his back wrapping her arms around his shoulders, "I missed you! I mean, I've been busy as all get-out helping the cakes and saving the world and stuff, but it just wasn't the same with only Dash to prank people with me! I mean, do you know how boring that is when only one pony is willing to play pranks and have fun! I just know that you are totally a prankster when you are done scowling." He put a hand on her mouth so she would stop but she kept going underneath it. During that time he felt a chill up his spine like she had said something important but she stopped as soon as he removed his hand and she smiled at him.

He let out a sigh, "Well, I only have enough food in this house for me and I wasn't expecting company. I don't tend to invite people over." He went and sat on his couch so he could face them all when he noticed something off about the smile Twilight was giving him. His eyes narrowed as he closed the distance, a brief look of fear crossing her face, "What aren't you telling me, Twilight?"

Applejack stepped forward and pushed him back a little, "Relax. We didn't come here to attack you or nuthin." He could see something in Applejack's eyes that told him she was hiding something too. Just as he was about to press the cowgirl on this, there was a knock at the door. He sighed turning to go check the door. As he looked through the peephole he saw his friend.

He sighed and shouted through the door, "Sorry, I have company. Can you come back later, AJ?"

The boy laughed back, "I know you do. Who do you think gave them the key to get into your apartment? Now Let me in, I brought snacks."

Shane raised a brow and called through the door, "You did what?" As if to drive this home he stated, "You let six strange girls drag me, unconscious, into my apartment and left me unattended with them while you went to get snacks?" Before the boy could respond Shane growled, "Snacks do not make this better! I didn't even tell you where I keep the spare! How did you know?"

Through the peephole his friend gave him a raised brow, "Come on… who keeps a rock in front of an apartment door? Besides, you don't have anything worth stealing and we all know that you are a genetic cocktail of terminal illnesses waiting to happen. Only an idiot would steal your organs or blood." After a minute of grumbling, Shane opened the door and let his friend in. "Besides, I know who they are and why they are here. And I'm glad the spirit of harmony still lives in my homeland."

Shane froze, not entirely sure he knew what was going on as he felt his mind beginning to fly apart. In that moment he felt like someone was holding his mind together themselves. Again he heard the voice which caused him to dart his head around, ' _This world is yours. You are safe here. Deep breaths_ '

Following the lead of the voice he took a few deep breaths, eventually collecting himself, it being so much easier when all the girls looked frozen in shock from what he had just said too. Shane stepped forward, "What do you mean?"

AJ turned as something about him seemed different than usual, "I never wanted this, and so I don't have a choice. I am sorry, girls, but this… is how it must be…" He waved his hand as the world seemed to flip like a rolodex, countless images of the scene crossing his vision as the girls began to vanish from view, "He must not wake for all our sakes, so run. Hide. Sleep." And with that the last card flipped and the world disappeared around Shane causing him to fall into the blackness. As he did so, he felt his chest begin to ache. What had they done? No…. what had he done? What was all this? He felt his mind echo quietly as he fell for what felt like an eternity, embracing the nothingness that encircled him.


	2. Memory Lane

He felt like he was being held by invisible strings in the inky blackness and so he closed his eyes, seeing that it couldn't be worse than the fall and he tried to make peace with the fact that this was clearly a nightmare. But somewhere in him, this felt less like a nightmare than a fear realized. Something about this felt right and that… that was disconcerting. He was surprised when his hand felt cold after awhile, and then his back… and then slowly light began to get through his closed eyes. Opening them he saw he was surrounded by snow on an overcast day. Looking around further he saw a distracted girl with flowing dark blue hair and a black crown in a flowing dark blue dress standing some distance away. It didn't take him long to figure it out. Walking over to her he asked, "So, this was your doing? Mind filling me in, Luna?"

She jolted as she turned to face him and she sighed, "I don't know. It wasn't supposed to go this way. We had a plan… but now I'm not sure I ever understood you." He raised a brow at her so she explained, "Celestia found an old spell in the library, in the margins of an ancient book. Upon looking into it while I was… gone… she had Twilight summon you at the given time, in line with an ancient and simple festival ritual that celebrated new beginnings, just as the spell specified. She hoped that if the legend she found was true, that Twilight and the others could show you the way."

He sighed, "You still aren't telling me what is going on?" He looked around some more and noticed a few new things. A creepy ice sculpture of a scared young colt and a series of hoofprints leading further off into the snow. "If you won't tell me, I'll just follow the obvious trail and see where it takes me."

She shot him a concerned look and asked, "You don't remember anything, do you?" He ignored her and continued to follow the path. When he did, eventually a small village with thatched roofs came into view. It felt… familiar and that bothered him. The colors were faded as if they themselves were simply made of yet more snow. But he had to admit, if the rest of the world hadn't been so bland, he would have missed the flash of bright pink go into one of the larger structures in the village. Running after it in hopes of catching whoever or whatever it was, he entered in and paused. It was an abandoned medieval barracks. A two story structure, the first floor lined with practice dummies and weapons racks and he assumed the next floor up would be the sleeping quarters and probably the office of the head honcho. Maybe they could explain what this was. Out of curiosity he walked over to one of the weapons, pulling it off the wall and testing the balance with a few swings.

As he struck the dummy suddenly the world looked brighter as he felt himself moving through practice motions on the dummy but not as he was now. Something was different but the motions he was making were still just as natural as breathing. He heard a different female voice speaking behind him, "Still practicing, I see. You never change, Golden." As he turned to look at the source, the world snapped back to the bland and grey color and he felt himself fall to the ground, his chest hurting deeply as he tried to catch his breath.

Luna spoke from the doorway, "So… you are him. The real him. Not a memory or an echo. What other memories live down here?" Her tone was cold and worried, like she was traveling with an animal who may go wild but seemed to be fine. The concern on her face was real and from the bittersweet look, he got the feeling that she only wasn't telling him for his own sake. This was no act of malice or plotting. It was something else.

He got up, not feeling any pain in his muscles. He panted, "Alright… so, this is something I have to figure out myself." He then remembered something his friend had said before he had been dropped here. Sleep. Is that why Luna was here? Had he been asleep? Why? Who was the one who sent him here? Clearly not a friend like he had been lead to believe. "I guess that whoever I saw go in here is probably upstairs." He stood up and, after a brief visual sweep of the training room, he felt a bit of pain in his heart, but couldn't put any significance to it. Going up the stairs, he came to a large chamber filled with beds, as he expected. Seeing a door at the far side of the room, he nodded, "Yep, every boss needs an office."

He walked towards it feeling a deep sense of nostalgia as if he was coming back to a childhood home. When he opened the door, he was surprised to see it vibrant and full of color and yet he could still walk it freely. Luna kept her distance as she allowed him to look over the room, but still making sure she had a clear line of sight if he remembered anything again. The desk had a stool that was oddly wide. Sitting on it, he found it to be rather comfortable, and still warm as if he hadn't been off of it for very long. He smiled as he picked up a small wooden carving that brought warmth to his heart. As he put it down he heard a deep voice boom, as he again felt a little out of sorts. "Don't worry, I used one of the ones from the countryside. Not gonna trust Everfree. Not after our experiences." He looked up from his desk to see a rather barrel chested Alicorn looking down on him, the beefy dark green pony with a copper mane and grey eyes laughed so powerfully it shook the window, "And the other option would be disrespectful."

Shane chuckled, "Well, thanks. I do appreciate it, Thunder." He shook his head, "I'm sad that you won't let me help out. You guys are in a pretty wild part of the land. We may be fighting the Everfree but…"

The green alicorn held up a hoof, "I made my decision. And you and I are both too stubborn for our own good. Ask Dusty." The booming laughter came again and Shane felt himself laughing before he knew what he was doing. And then the image faded again, and again, he felt his heart ache.

Examining the desk further, he noticed the well watered flowers in the vase on his desk. As he briefly touched it, he saw his hands change to a hoof as he heard a cheery voice declare, "If you aren't going to come to my dances, you should at least have some nature in here." He looked over at the grumpy redish-purple crystal alicorn in front of him, her violet hair having a pink rose through the bun to hold it in place. She only did that during formal meetings. How did he know that?

He felt himself reply, "It isn't on purpose, Rose. There is just a lot to be done. It may have been 8 years since we came here, but the country is still in chaos. Keeps the Captain of the Guard busy, you know. I promise that unless there is an emergency that will end the world in the next hour or so that comes up, I'll come to your next dance I promise."

She looked over her wing at him and huffed, "You had better. It isn't the same since you guys stopped coming."

Again he heard the unfamiliar female voice, "We miss you too, Rosey. Don't worry, I'll drag him by his wing if I have to." As he turned to look, the source of the voice was gone and upon turning back so was the crystal alicorn.

Luna commented as she drew closer, "There was a crystal Alicorn?"

Without thinking Shane off-handedly replied, "She wasn't born one. She made a spell to become one. She wanted to shine and shimmer as she danced…" Luna looked at him with hope and surprise as he shook his head. How did he know that?

It was then that he felt the need to look out the window and did so just in time to see the bright flash of pink enter another building outside. "Well, I'm no fool. There is a ghost of sorts in these memories, Luna. Someone who is trying to help but doesn't want to be seen… so why don't you tell me where we are?"

Luna sighed, "We are in your deepest memories. The ones you didn't want to think about. I don't know why, but he buried us deep in here. As for what this location is? I don't know. I would think Ponyville, but it is too expansive for that. Perhaps an older settlement near the Everfree, sounds like before any wards or precautions were taken about those woods."

He looked over his desk once more, but as warm as this office felt, as much as it felt like home, he needed to follow that figure that kept running. Probably the female voice he kept not being able to look at. He was no fool. That was how things like this always went. But if that was true, why did he linger? As he pondered this, he opened the drawer on the side of the desk and saw a piece of paper, seemingly blank, but one that scared him. It wasn't as bright as the rest of the office. It was more of a dark grey than the bright white of the other papers. Closing the desk with a sense of mild relief he left the office. "Come on. We have someone to follow. They clearly are trying to show me what you dare not tell me."

Luna hesitated before she followed him down the stairs to the first floor, stating, "It isn't that I don't dare. It is just all we know is… faded and… questionable. My sister only found the spell to summon you in a margin of a book from Star Swirl's time and we don't know how much of the rest is reliable." She sighed, "I don't want to make another mistake, but I wanted to save you."

Shane scoffed, "From what? Was I in danger?" She nodded, "Well, I didn't feel like it until now. Coming here… It caused things to change. My world was happy and even though the world had changed upon my return, I was still at peace. I was content."

She sighed, "Maybe you are right, but… hiding from your past… it destroyed you. And from what I have seen, it destroyed what you cared about as well… once upon a time…" He shook his head as they left the building, scanning for the building the pink had gone into to see golden light leaving the doorway. Beckoning and warm. He hesitated, feeling that he shouldn't. Something was off about all of this. Why did these memories get buried and why does he feel this pain in his chest? This guilt in his heart. Luna reassured, "That look… I know it better than the rest. And I think pondering that will explain why I came here to save you."

He paused, turning to return to the office, a ball of hot lead forming in his gut as Luna looked at him in confusion. As he started back, he heard a voice from the golden light. "You work too hard, Gold. Just talk with me for a minute. Then you can get back to work." He shook his head mistaking it for a memory until it continued, "I am the one reminding you. Showing you who you really are. Before you go back to work, you need to remember who you are. I want to see the one I love one more time." He froze and after a second he turned again and went into the golden doorway with purpose, Luna lingering as she watched this. As he stepped in, the air was warm and comfortable, the entire room of warped shelves was bathed in golden light and again the vivid colors kicked in. The pink alicorn smiled at him, her red mane with yellow streaks flowing around her head. She turned with her vivid violet eyes and smiled sweetly at him. "Do you remember this? My library? We used to spend every summer evening here." She walked over to him and placed her hoof on his cheek, "I've never seen you wear a mask around me before. It doesn't suit you. You should take it off."

He shook his head, feeling that all of this… he shouldn't be in here right now. He should just leave, but instead he lingered. "Who… who are you?"

She looked at him with a soft expression and laughed lightly, "So, you forgot yourself… You've been wearing the mask too long. Take it off and sit with me." She walked over to the long table in the center of the library, sat down and her horn began to shine as books began to flying quickly but gently around the library. He walked over and sat next to her, "You don't know what you looked like anymore, do you? Or are you afraid?" She chuckled to herself, "I'm sorry for laughing so much, but I've never seen you this silly. You haven't been afraid of anything in your life. Even when we left our home, you were the one that kept us all pushing ahead. Do you remember, Gingersnap?" When he gave her a quizzical look she sighed as a book floated in front of him, showing him an oddly familiar but entirely disconnected picture. It had a bright yellow alicorn with a bright blue mane and bright blue eyes, stripes of darker blue going through it. His cutie mark looked… eerily familiar to another one he had seen in his past. "See? Doesn't that look better than all this black leather and posturing? Even if you have changed, stop pretending to be something other than what you are, Gold. It is a mismatched suit."

He paused, eventually his form from his trip to ponyville taking hold and as cold as he felt his heart was, it felt… right. He sighed, "I'm sorry that I'm not that guy anymore. I just… I don't know why."

The pink mare smiled as she called out, "Please, join us. I don't know you, but you are a friend of Gold, right?"

Luna stepped into the library, flipping through some of the books, "These are all blank. So what does that make this library?" She stayed by the door, not wanting to get too close, but not wanting to seem rude.

"These aren't your memories… and he doesn't remember writing them. And when he does, I don't know he will care about them." The pink pony turned to him and spoke sweetly, "So you are a bit dirty. I am glad to see you. We can stay here as long as you want to. After all, I am at my happiest with you." She rested her head on his shoulder.

Luna asked, "Who are you?" Her tone was deeply interrogatory, as if she was some other trap.

The reply came swiftly and gently, "Since he doesn't remember, I will tell him… and then he can make his decision." She turned to him and said, "Golden Justice… No, Golden Rune… It's me, Stardust Runner." And in that moment the pain in his chest worsened as he shook his head, "Don't fight it. Let the memories in. I showed you Thunderhoof and Posie Rose… I took you to your office... You were the Captain of the Guard." Her tone got softer as he felt his eyes drifting closed, "You could just stay here. You don't have to go anywhere. We can finally have this moment. No distractions. No work... Just a moment held to infinity." As they lingered for what felt like the eternity she meant, she let out a breath and shook her head, "I want to protect you... but you know that they are lost here too. If it was just you and me again, I would protect you... but you have to save them."

As if it just occurred to him his eyes snapped open, "My god, you are right. The girls… He hid them!" He turned to her and as he looked into her sorrowful face he asked, "How do I find them?"

She paused for a minute as a tear began to form in her eye, "You start by letting me go..." Her voice broke for a minute as she collected herself, Shane beginning to cry but not perfectly sure why, "And then... you go where you need to... and you will know what happened. Just be brave, like I know you can be." As he was about to ask how to do the first, she lead him to the door to the library, pushing him out, but before she closed the door she asked, "Can... can you just tell me one more time before you go?"

Luna looked at him puzzled as he said, not sure if it was a memory or reflex, "I love you, Stardust, now and forever." She smiled at him as she began to cry and gave him a quick kiss before closing the door. When he tried it out of curiosity, he couldn't bring himself to turn the handle. She wanted us to save them. Going back, staying, as tempting as it was, would be a betrayal of her trust. She didn't fall for a coward and the hour has come.

Luna asked softly, "Where do we go next?" He paused for a minute, turning to go to the office. He knew where he needed to go and as they entered the barracks again, Luna jolted in surprise at having returned to her Alicorn state. He stormed into the office and opened the drawer, still seeing the darkened sheet sitting there. He pulled it out and read it as he visibly winced, feeling a deep dread. He showed it to Luna who read it aloud, "Divisions 8 through 24 are under orders to enter the Everfree to acquire the…. Tree of Harmony." She looked at him as he stormed out of the office and into the training room where he took the axe from before with his magic and began to strike furiously at the training dummy. She couldn't help but ask, "You know about the Tree of Harmony? How?"

Speaking more out of instinct than thought as all his active thoughts were cursing as he struck this harmless effigy. "It was what started all of this. Deep in the Everfree."

Luna sighed, looking down at the ground, seeming to finally be coming to the point that she seemed to know something about. She asked cautiously, "So, you really wrote those orders?"

He turned to her, pointing the axe at her menacingly as he growled, "I don't remember!" He gave it a twirl with his usual grumpy demeanor, "But I do know that I need to save the girls and that is the only lead we have. And I don't have a choice but to go forward." He put it back on the rack, his perma-glare returning full force. Luna was about to speak but was cut off when he said, "It is known as Winteria now... and Gingersnap was the ice sculpture we saw on our way here." He stepped out, leaving her behind and marching with a dark purpose towards the distant treeline.


	3. Path to Absolution

Luna watched with dread and concern on her face as they approached the treeline. He had been grumbling and wearing a face that was a blend of fear and anger. It was as if he had read it fresh again for the first time. He didn't remember making that order and something in his gut said that it wasn't his order. As they finally got to the edge of the Everfree, a gentle song floated on the air. It was quiet at first, but it became more clear as a white alicorn with a neon green mane and a rather fragile frame appeared, singing a song with his eyes closed as his magic played a harp next to him.

Sleep in peace and sleep at last

Embrace your rest and forget the past

Embrace eternity

Nestled in obscurity

Rest until time forgets us

Under the care of Morpheus

May your dreams bring you peace

May your evil thoughts cease

Sleep

Peace

Dream

And it then begun again. As he got closer, Justice could feel his mind getting light, the weight in his heart beginning to lift as his mind began to drift in the music. Seeing this Luna shouted, "No, you have to keep pushing forward! You cannot stop! Push through and remember! Remember the girls!" He looked at her with a distant look before he seemed to grip onto something. She was right.

He shouted, "ENOUGH!" the white alicorn opened his eyes, exposing his orange eyes, "Look, I know you mean well, Echo. But the time has come."

The white alicorn looked concerned but nodded, "I didn't want you to torture yourself anymore, Rune. You were always too hard on yourself. You carried the weight so none of us had to. I just wanted to repay you for all the good you had done for the rest of us."

Justice paused, not sure he fully understood what his old friend was talking about, but instead he insisted, "There are some well meaning girls that came here to help me and I don't know where they are. Stardust sent me down this path."

Echo sighed as he shook his head, "Only unhappiness lies this way. You will torture yourself. The girls must be fine as I created Morpheus for you so you could have peace and no one would force you down this road. I'm sure they are happy."

Luna was about to speak up when Justice motioned her quiet, "Echo, you were always so kind, but you never really understood people... or maybe that is just my memory of you. Either way, they cannot live here with me. It is time for me to move on. I can't waste my life here as long as others are in danger." These words weren't chosen by him as much as they were just happening. They felt hollow and like a reflex. Something was missing.

As if sensing this Echo turned his head and put a hoof to Justice's heart, closing his eyes for a solid minute before opening them with tears in his eyes, "This isn't what I would have wanted. I never meant to rip out your heart..." Echo seemed to shimmer and shift before taking on the form of AJ for a moment before becoming the yellow alicorn from the photo. "I wanted to give you peace. You have fought for too long you needed to rest. Rest before you became what you fought for so long."

Shane shouted, "You! Where are they?!" As he stepped forward he was calmly pushed back as sad look on the face that he once had.

"You cannot go on. Not without giving me your word." Shane was not tempted to agree with this former friend but he waited to hear the request, "When you wake the beast you must slay it... even if it kills you."

Shane growled, "Nobody will tell me anything! Who is this beast? What is it you fear and what evil thoughts did Echo want to save me from? No one will tell me anything! So here is MY deal. You tell me what the hell happened or you will have nothing from me, Morpheus!"

The figure sighed with resignation, "Then continue on and awaken the beast. The truth lies just ahead and when you have your answers, the beast I fear will awaken, and at the end of the day, only you can face him, but you will not be ready."

Luna moved to his side and stated, "Then we will face it together. He isn't alone in this struggle."

Morpheus smiled softly but condescendingly, "Dear moon, just like your course through the sky, we all must walk our paths alone."

Luna smacked the figure, "I don't any more. We are never alone, if we have friends." She was taken aback when her traveling companion reflexively replied to her outburst.

With a weary sigh he stated, "Friends can't be there for everything, and not everyone you view as a friend truly is one. These are the lessons you learn when you are in command of an army. Expect nothing from your friends and give everything. This way, anything outside of these things are pleasant surprises." He started into the woods as their warden nodded in approval despite the sad look in his eye, "Come on, Luna. I want you to be here when I finally find whatever crap it is that you've been keeping from me." She glared at the warden and then at the colt marching towards his own history. Perhaps to his own fate. As he did, the woods seem to darken and curl around him.

Luna asked, "Do you really believe that?" Her tone was urgent and pressing.

He scoffed back, "Why wouldn't I? Even in the fake world I built for myself, it was what I experienced. At the end of the day, I was in my own little exhibit and destined to be on my own. Giving everything and taking nothing." It was then that they came to a clearing with oddly shaped stones, or so it seemed until he got a bit closer in the dark. "Unicorns… must be the ones who came to claim the tree." Luna stopped at the edge of the clearing and watched. Noticing this, he figured this must have been the legend. That he did this… But how? Three hundred military unicorns all turned to solid stone, some of them looking like they were about to turn and run. As he looked further into the woods, he noticed a slow burning bright blue flame. As he got closer, he noticed it was a statue of... well, him... but something was wrong. The slow burning blue flame was coming from where the mane should be and where the tail should be. Feeling a pit in his gut, he didn't touch the statue and instead walked a bit further in to see it. The Tree of Harmony, or at least some vision of it. As he stepped closer a flash of memory hit him.

An earth pony that looked like Thunderhoof kicked an alpha timber wolf back into his pack, each of the beasts towering much higher than in Luna's time. Another that looked like Rose tossed a leather pouch that upon hitting the ground let out a flash of bright light and created a loud sound, scaring away the smaller ones. A white Pegasus, Echo, began to sing a lullaby to the local rabbits that seemed ready to attack until he had. His sister a dark grey Pegasus with a mane the same color as Thunderhoof removed her saddle bags stating, "Well, this clearing is as good as any. Who wants clover sandwiches? I know they aren't the best sandwich but nothing here eats them so it should be fine."

Stardust looked over to him, just a unicorn and asked, "Shouldn't we be going..." And then she stopped, moving some vines to reveal the tree. As the two stepped in, they felt warmth overcome them unlike any they had felt. And even the creeper vines were nowhere near the tree. "I sense magic here, Rune. I can tell if we stay here we will be safe."

He nodded, "It almost feels like it is inviting us to. Like it is trying to tell us that this is a sacred safe place to rest." As they all entered a light began to wash over them, and sitting down quietly with the sandwiches they all smiled with relief that they could finally relax and ate, Stardust's head resting on his shoulder as a sudden flash enveloped them.

Luna looked on with dazzled eyes, "The beginning of the Alicorn? It was started by the tree?" He nodded. She stepped forward, "And that grey Pegasus... She reminded me of a painting the royal treasury lost during Sombra's attack. She was my ancestor?"

He sighed as he shrugged, "Could have been. I wasn't around for that." He felt compelled to walk up to the tree, resting an exploratory hoof before another flash of memory came. Him in the same stance breathing heavy as he looked up at the tree.

He heard a voice behind him, one that was dark and angry, "We did what we needed to. What we did was just! This tree has brought peace to our people! It is not a prize to be claimed or a power to be abused!"

He spoke not to the voice but to the tree and to himself, "I am sorry. I failed you. I have betrayed my purpose and brought death to my own people. Please, grant me your power one more time. Before it is too late."

The voice growled again, "You are failing them twice if you turn from me! I am Justice in the absolute! I did as I needed to protect it and I will do so to all those who would come for it. If they need a demon to fear in order to keep their peace, I will become as much of a monster as they need! I will destroy all enemies of peace!"

He turned and shouted at the figure, "And become one in the process! I REFUSE! I would sooner die than continue down this dark road." He paused as he looked over a being now moving that looked almost exactly like the statue but with the stone flesh replaced with shining gold and his irises gone, a mindless husk of power. "And for their sake I will. Three hundred have died here because of me, but not one pony more. This begins and ends here!" As the tree granted him power once more he rose up stating, "I will bury you in a prison of the mind. You and I will rot there for eternity, watching as the world continues on without us. You will hurt no one and when your end finally comes you will know that your brand of justice betrays everything we have ever carried. This is the judgment for treason of the highest order by the Captain of the Equestrian Royal military."

Another flash and the memory ended but the figure did not. It stood there, looking down upon him. "And so you turned your back on the path of Absolute Justice and became this... An empty shell not even worth mocking." It stepped forward slowly, "You turned your back on your responsibility and your home because you killed traitors to the being that gave us this power. And since it wasn't us, we should have found who gave the order and taken them down as well. Put an end to the rebellions that attempted to set our world ablaze countless times. But you... you don't remember any of this. Because you are not the betrayer. You are but his empty husk. I suppose I'll save him the trouble by getting rid of his trash for him." As the being's eyes began to glow, Luna suddenly leaped into the way. "Ah, another traitor. Well, I don't have time to deal with you now. I must finish my business. If you care for this empty husk in any way, then I suppose I can put you both away in this prison until I'm ready to deal with you." Again, like a million pages of a book rolling past, reality seemed to fade and shift until he was there in the darkness all by himself again.

Floating there, slowly realizing what had happened. Why Luna was here... and why no one wanted to tell him what he had done. And so he floated here, trying to process that he had ended the lives of three hundred. He was a murderer... He had seen the demon he had become and he wondered just what it meant. The pain in his heart was gone here, but echoed through his body like a tuning fork. Here he hung, caught between oblivion and eternity and nothing to hold onto. It was there that he heard Morpheus' voice once more, "I warned you, but you chose to awaken this voice. Now there is but one path, one ending. You have brought about that which we swore to prevent"

He continued to float, not sure he understood this space. He had been told he was an empty shell and that he had been put away, and yet all he could feel was listless. He asked, "You say that, but where am I now? Which way is up, and which is down?"

Morpheus replied with a hint of hesitation, "Those words hold only the meaning you give them here. All eventually slips into oblivion, and all else is infinite and without substance. All that remains now is to wait until we are pulled into the black." He heard the resignation in the voice, but as he looked around he tried to snatch at some better answer, some truth that had eluded his other.

As he reached out with his magic for some hold on this space. When he did, a new voice came, "If it were me, I wouldn't let it end here. He wants to judge the world in fire, I say you answer with some of your own. Bring the sins of the fallen back upon him and show him the same amount of mercy he would show them. Best way to destroy a monster is to show them how pointless their little displays are."

Looking to see a thread in this odd space had moved, he pulled at another string and heard a different voice far more worn out, "He wants to exact his justice on the world, but as the necessary evil of my own world, I can tell you it will only breed greater darkness. Fear his thunder at your own risk."

He pulled at yet another string and a new more energetic voice responded, "He has just lost his path, forgotten who we are. Forgotten that when you throw time out the window and stop trying to fix the world, there is no telling what will happen. Vigilante, rockstar, or even just a boozehound. Not much of a list, but this isn't our world to fix. That world is here. Remind him of that."

Pulling on one more, he began to feel some ground on his feet, as if he was grabbing a rope to scale a cliff, as a female voice said "This world, here, is ours. We made it. This is the only one we have any control over, and what we do with it is ours to shape. It is another path and another part of us, just like The Captain. But we are ourselves. All we can do is accept our past and embrace potential. Remember this space, and know that our only limit is the edge of eternity. Until then, this world is ours, and what we do with it out there is up to us."

He began to walk on this seeming ground, holding that thread. This world was his to define. His to fix or destroy. As he tried to move forward, he could feel something pulling on him. Looking back he saw Morpheus pulling him towards Oblivion with his magic, "It is too late! We have already done all we feared we would and lost everything and everyone we ever cared about! We have lost! Let it go!."

Shaking his head he continued to climb, insisting, "We have survived it, though. We went through our worst fear and are still here. I don't know what you went through that made you break, but I'm still here, I'm still alive and I'm going to fix this!" He growled, "I can't afford to give up, not to him and not like this."

Morpheus growled, "My task is apparently at its end. Echo's last wish has fallen on deaf ears. Since that is the case, I will show you who we are, and when I do, perhaps you will see why we cannot stop him. May Echo forgive me." The figure rushed him, seeming to phase into him and as he did, he felt himself lose the thread he had been pulling. He found himself again staring blankly as he floated between infinity and oblivion, trying to process the memories that had just been thrust upon him.


	4. Stay to the Path

Time is like an hour glass. Ahead is an infinite stream of possibility and behind is an unending pit where that which never was lives with that which no longer is. A mind has yet to come that can process the full meaning of it, if only because with every second that passes, an infinity passes into the void with every meaning that could have come going with it into the void. Instead, our minds try to form chains of these possibilities. A ladder of time to carry us into the infinite. To the mortal, such ladders end with them, causing them to lose to the sands of time. But if you could live for a hundred years more, two, or even a thousand, what effect would that have on you as you watch time slide past you? How does one accept this concept? How long would it take to accept it?

These are the questions that Golden felt himself grappling with. His mind warred with him as the person he once was tried to grasp the infinite hims he saw unfolding in front of his eyes. Some were humans, others simple unicorns or perhaps pegasi. Some others were even changelings or kirin, or even a yak. As he tried to process this he heard the enraged voice speak to him again, full of power and surety and yet seeming so small in a space like this. "I see you have patched yourself back together traitor, but you know the pieces will never fit like before. You have been apart for far too long. Now get up and face me!"

Get up? Was he lying down? He didn't feel any ground beneath him and yet Absolute seemed convinced that he was. Turning to face the figure with his head, he couldn't help but smirk. He was tied up in this one string. The figure moved fluidly, but each one looked to Golden like an expert puppeteer making this menacing force dance at the ends of his strings. Golden tried to 'stand up' only to find himself flailing at the air like a drunk. Reaching out with his magic he oriented himself by the voice of a version of himself who seemed deeply annoyed by the process, eventually, standing on what felt like ground, even though Absolute was standing at a ninety degree angle from himself. Wrong angle for a dramatic confrontation but a start as he tried to make sense of this room.

Absolute growled, "You are trying to make a mockery of my power! This chamber is of my design, not yours!" The figure stomped his hoof and the string wrapped around the colt twisted, causing Absolute to turn to the same angle that Golden was on. Golden chuckled at the image and the figure growled, "Have you lost your mind here already, traitor? Perhaps claiming you will be easier than I had hoped."

Golden shook his head and took a deep breath, "Tell me, what does this room look like to you?"

Absolute smiled and puffed out his chest, "Your worst nightmare, fool. The fear of the infinite abyss. Fear of the inevitable." He held himself so proud, as he looked like a kitten that had played with a ball of yarn. Just another child. Golden tried to walk towards him and felt some resistance on his back hoof. Looking he saw there was still a string wrapped around his back legs, stopping him from moving forward. Kicking the thread off, he shook a little with relief. "What do you think you are doing?"

Golden sighed, "You see, I may not like where I have been. I will carry that with me for a long time, buddy. But us?" He approached the figure without concern as he began to understand, "We have seen ages come and ages pass and we will see many more. Eternity means we will have a lot to take with us by the end, but it also means that this is our home. This moment. Every this moment. We don't have to claw for more time because we are forever here." Absolute looked at him with confusion but he motioned him quiet, "The moment you were born, the moment I brought us here, I did so because I feared what came next. How was a child of harmony so young to understand? Even you right now can only see one path. But this is my mind, my world built of my dreams and nightmares."

The figure boomed, sounding much like a child trying to sound big, "This is MY WORLD and I WILL have my freedom!" Golden tried to laugh him off, the laugh being cut short by a blast from the figure who clearly had lost his patience. "I am so much more than you! I am the essence of who you are!" The figure paused as the laughter returned and he watched as Golden seemed to shimmer, his black coat pulling back to reveal his old colors but only a little, stripes like that of a zebra crossing his hide as the two color schemes tried to find balance. As they settled he stood up, his bright blue eyes shining as he smiled big at Absolute. "How dare you smile at me! I hold all the power of the elements within me! My power is without end! I am unequaled! I will remind you of your place!" This time when he shot a blast, a barrier deflected the powerful rainbow colored blast.

Golden shook his head, tsking as he seemed to flicker and shift. "I'll say it again. This is my mind, and I'm just now beginning to understand what it all means. I was so small minded. So simple and so full of myself back then. I used to think I was so important and yet life went on without me." He loomed over Absolute with a dismissive look on his face, "You viewed yourself as a demon, but you were simply someone doing the only thing you could see in front of you with all you had. You are a petty fear of a petty man." He shimmered for a minute, changing into a human alicorn form, "But here, I can put you to rest. I am not a monster, nor a demon, or a hero. I'm not even a god... at least not out there. But here?" He snapped his fingers, the 'ground' giving out beneath the figure he had been fighting as it 'fell' into oblivion, left behind like every poor decision he had ever considered.

As Golden walked along, he looked at his hand with a sigh. Until he left this prison of his own make, this was his realm to shape, but he didn't know where to look for those that had come to help him. Looking around the realm he could again see this realm for its strings that were as infinite as the mind itself. He felt himself shifting again as he tried to adapt to this new approach. It was now that he began to see strings that were a different color from the rest. Using his magic to pull one close, he heard a familiar voice. Grabbing it out of instinct, he found himself suddenly standing in a new space. An old castle he felt he had seen somewhere, and upon seeing the crest on the banners and the figure's near the throne he began to realize where he was.

Nightmare Moon laughed, "Oh, and so another Alicorn comes to my court." She turned to the de-horned and shackled Celestia bound near her throne, "Tell me, do you think you can escape his judgement? Or did you believe falling to me would be more merciful."

Golden smiled and snapped… and nothing happened. He tried again and still nothing. Nightmare Moon's eyes widened as she began to laugh uncontrollably as if he was her jester. Okay, well he can't snap her away like Absolute, so what could he do? After a moment she caught her breath and a fresh smile crossed his face, "Sorry to disappoint. I just realized this isn't some image is it? This is a prison made by your mind. I just accidentally handed you the fuel. Well, I wanna show you something. Willing to humor me?" She smirked with great confidence and motioned him on, as if watching a juggler. He closed his eyes, reaching out with his magic in this realm clenching his hands around each other. Pulling them apart, he felt resistance and upon opening his eyes his smirk became more smarmy. Between his two hands was a tangle of strings pulled tight. "See, this? This knot is your history your memories. The very essence of your mind."

Nightmare Moon growled, "I don't believe you. I believe you are killing time until Absolute comes to take what is his. After all, with all of infinity ahead of us and all our magic, it is inevitable that we will win out against you weak willed fools eventually."

He sighed, pulling at one of the strings, causing Nightmare Moon to twitch, "You see that? I just pulled at your false impression of time." He chuckled, "You see, you seem to have a false impression of your timeline. This is not inevitable or even your only ending, Luna. It is just as easy as drowning yourself in a lake or being blown to bits by any of the many evils in our land. You are not destined to fail and the more you obsess over it, the more you make yourself blind to the other ways you could fail your friends. The past is not the future."

Nightmare Moon leapt at him, trying to stare him down, "You! You are not the fool he sent away! You are something else! Where is Absolute Justice?!"

He pulled at another string causing her to wince again, "And that was your paranoia. You are terrified to trust yourself, and that makes it hard to trust others. You turned because you felt neglected. You turned to darkness because you feared being alone. Now you make yourself alone for fear of hurting your sister or your friends. First others and now yourself. Let it go, Luna."

Nightmare Moon grumbled, "How? How are you able to take me apart like this? Why is it so easy for you?"

He sighed, "First, we are in a place I created. Second, I have been watching you in particular for some time. I suspect for the same reason you came to save me from myself. We both live with being Alicorns, fearing what we may become as time continues to flow around us and we see countless beings fall into darkness. But evil doesn't always have to win, Luna." Nightmare Moon glared at him for a short time before seeming to disappear in a blue smoke, reforming into Luna as the twisted Canterlot throne room faded into the endless strings once more. Unable to help himself he asked, "What do you see here, Dreamwalker?"

Luna looked around and after a moment of thought replied, "Clouds, but to me, the dream realm always has. I'll go back and wake everyone up." She stopped when he motioned her quiet as she grumbled, "Oh, really? You aren't going to let me do my job?"

He sighed, "It isn't that. It is my prison and my brain that did this to them. I want to make sure that they are okay and know that I am fine." She raised a brow at him and he sighed, "Look, I know it is selfish, but this whole thing happened because I was selfish. Let me endulge it for just a minute more."

Luna sighed as her eyes drifted closed, "Not without my help, okay?" He hesitated so she opened her eyes in a glare at him, "I said, Okay?" He nodded slowly and she nodded in return, "Good. So, I'm going to assume you can't see the doors, so I say we start with this one and you can just follow my lead. Sound good? Good." She seemed to walk at an odd angle, and reached out to one of the strings and vanished. Pulling that string closer, he realized it was a different color than the rest of them. Looking around he saw a few others that stood out clear as day from the rest. They were so different he began to wonder how he missed them before. He pulled harder only to see it was entangled with some of the other different colored strings. As he pulled the knot they formed and reached to touch it a string pulled his hoof back. Trying to shake it off, he noticed there was another knot similar to the one he assumed was the girls and that the string that grabbed his hoof seemed to be humming as if it was strummed. It felt like a warm and inviting tune, calling him home. He pulled the second knot closer and as he touched it he was whisked away from this world of strings.

Luna tapped her hoof as she waited at the masquerade ball that she assumed was Rarity's dream based on the attire, but he didn't show. She growled, "Leave it to a rookie to get lost between there and a door. I swear." She opened the door to go back for him only to see a library with countless books floating about and an older looking Twilight reading through them in peace. Opening another she found a forest filled with the songs of birds and rabbits hopping peacefully around the world. He had gone where she couldn't follow and with a sigh she realized they each had a road to walk, apparently.

Justice found himself standing again at the edge of the town but this time, instead of being grey and abandoned, the buildings were as vibrant as they had been all those years ago, the only white space being the snow covering the ground. Even Gingersnap was gone. He shook his head, not trusting his recently recovered memories, but perked up when he heard the warm notes of a harp being played. He followed the tune to a clearing behind a rather simple house, and there he saw the white alicorn he knew as his friend playing a soft melody with his magic. "Echofall Symphony, what are you doing here?"

The colt smiled at him and shook his head, "You know I hate being called by my whole name, but I suppose you needed to hear it again." He cleared some snow out from in front of him as he continued to play, "As for your question, it is because you aren't finished with me yet, but I forgive you." The smile disarmed the backhanded comment, just like the old days.

Justice sat down in the cleared grass and tilted his head, "Finished with you? But you are the one that brought me here." The colt seemed to ignore him while continuing to play, so Justice continued, "I mean, you are the one that tried to help me control what I was becoming." Again the colt seemed to be ignoring him so he stood up and growled, "Why aren't you responding?" The other colt motioned him to sit down again with that gentle look that disarmed his temper, causing him to sit again. Echo continued to play the tune slowly and gently, "What am I missing, Echo?"

The white stallion chuckled and continued to play and as he did, Justice could feel himself being soothed and relaxed. Echo continued to play and as Justice seemed almost to drift, Echo spoke, "You spent your life working for others, Golden. Even in the end, you sacrificed your entire life with us for everyone else. You were forgiven before you strayed. All I wanted was to grant you peace for all the good you have done." Justice tried to grab onto this moment, but upon failing to do so, he felt Echo's hoof on his shoulder. "You ran from us because you couldn't forgive yourself. When that test comes again, remember that you are loved and be kind to yourself. We all stray at some point." He whispered, "I'll be here until you are ready, and I'm fine with that. So, take all the time you need."

Justice sat there for what felt like an eternity, a tune that sung of home ringing in his ears and Echo's hoof firmly planted and not leaving for a minute. In this frozen eternity, he slowly began to feel time slipping past him. He was sitting here doing nothing when he should be going. The girls needed him they were here because of him and he needed to fix it, but he heard the whisper again, "They will be fine. Luna will save them. You have somewhere else you need to be." Justice took a deep breath in and then out and tried to forget about that for now, to trust Echo, and when he did, he realized what had been said. When he did, he stood suddenly and Echo's hoof left his shoulder.

Justice felt the world snap back into focus and he spun to face his old friend with a mournful look in his eye, "I'm so sorry, Echo. I shouldn't have done this. I abandoned you all, just like what happened after Winteria. You guys were my family and..." the knowing smile on the face of his old friend caused him to correct himself, "I mean are my family..." the stallion shook his head and Justice froze for a second. Is this what he had been talking about? "You mean that you forgave me before I even apologized. Of course you did."

Echo shrugged as he began to walk off into the snow, "I'm not the only one you aren't finished with, but I'm sure you will be fine. The Tree knows where you need to be, just like you do, I'm sure." As he began to walk far enough to vanish into the snow, the bright green maned stallion began to sing along to the melody until it seemed to melt, becoming a very faint voice on the wind in this space. Justice looked back to the town with a slowly dawning realization. He had been brought here because this was chosen as his path, the one that only he could walk.

He sighed and made his first stop one of the ones he feared the most, knowing this space but unsure of where it would lead. His old office. As he entered the barracks, he was surprised to see his rather large green alicorn friend practicing with a massive war hammer held in his mouth, restraining himself enough not to destroy the training dummy but using enough force with each swing that it felt like a typhoon was blowing through the halls.

He was about to speak when the massive green stallion put the hammer down with force into the floor, looking down upon Golden as if he were just a child in stature. The warrior sighed and with a voice so full of bass that it rattled the lungs he scolded, "Let old Thunderhoof Earthshaper set you straight, Goldy. You always felt the weight of our gift more than the rest of us. You were terrified of abusing it. Scared of yourself. That is why you ran away. You were so scared of what you could do that you didn't want to risk us thinking less of you or being hurt by you." He leaned in, his deep blue eyes tearing Justice to the core, "Newsflash, you have always been too soft. When you hurt people it is because you are too afraid to step up. And now you expect me to believe you are ready to face yourself? Do you think you are strong enough to face what comes next? Do you even know who waits for you upstairs?"

Justice looked up at his friend and stamped his hoof, "You are right, Thunder. I was scared. I am scared!" He shook a little in his stance as he tried to continue, "Even since I was woken up, I still don't understand what I've been doing. It is terrifying how much power we have but-"

Thunderhoof bellowed him silent, "AND YET you are still just another stallion! You aren't a hero, Goldy! You aren't a villain either! Stop acting like you are so important! Despite my rank, my change, and my powers I still was willing to plow the fields with the residents of my settlement. I was still willing to break bread with them and care for the land with my own hooves! Because the power didn't change who I am just like it didn't change you!" The voice seemed to become the gentle jovial tones he once heard so long ago, "You are still the hopelessly reliable friend that I have called on time and time again. You changed because you let your fear change you. You changed because you convinced yourself of something that was never true."

The massive warrior lifted the hammer with his mouth, sliding it into the holder that rested at his side, the head at his right shoulder and the handle resting just an inch above the ground, "I told you, a real warrior has a gentle heart and a strong spirit. Stop trying to act like something bigger than what you are. When you learn to be honest with yourself then everything will be okay." The stallion gave a huge jovial laugh and locked eyes with Golden, as if to drive the point home. When Golden's only response was to sit on the floor quietly as he tried to accept this, Thunder poked him with his hoof. "You know what I say is true. You've been here too long to hide from it anymore. Face it. You are the same unicorn brat that jumped in the way of a timber wolf for me, even though I would have taken it better and blamed yourself for the ambush."

Golden had gotten a glimpse into the infinite and yet here he was being told that he was still just a stallion. No one special. No one remarkable. Just like everyone else. Looking at his hooves he tried to think this through, when it all became crystallized in front of him. Shane stood in front of him in human form. The figure stood there for a minute before saying, "When we came here, we just wanted to be basic. Having friends but being forgettable. Invisible and unimportant," The figure shifted into the yellow hide blue maned unicorn he was so long ago, "Just like here. Live as simply as Rune again, before this all got so out of hand." Golden reached out to touch his former self, placing a hoof on his shoulder.

Golden stared at it as Thunder stated, "Look at him and realize there is one key difference." As Golden looked over his former self, his eyes were drawn to the eyes of the other him. Eyes that looked terrified. Why did he ever join the military? What was he trying to do? "So fragile, but willing to go against his own nature so no one else had to suffer. He took all that came with war to protect those he loved." The green hoof motioned to Golden, "And here he is after all of that, covered head to toe in war paint. It would be easy to sleep forever, and yet here you are fighting to return. And it is all because of who you are." Golden turned to face him, realizing that Thunderhoof now had scars that Golden had never seen on him before, "Your gentle heart broke because of what you were forced to do, as it should. But don't forget, that strong spirit is what gives you the power to protect those you love. Never seek war, but always be ready when it comes to you." The hulking alicorn walked out of the barracks his bellowing voice joining the tune started by Echo.

Golden stared after him for awhile, still recovering from this experience. Eventually he recovered enough to go up to his office only to find that it was still just his office. Nothing had changed. He sat in his chair and as he looked around the room he took in the quiet. It didn't take long for the odd silence in this office to become oppressive. He felt alone again in this empty room that felt even emptier without the singing that had been started on the wind. This oppression drove him from the room. This wasn't his space anymore. It was too enclosed. Too isolated. As he stepped back into the square, he took a deep breath as he listened to the song only to hear a dynamic voice he remembered all too well, "So, Gold, What took you so long to get back? I went to take you a map but I couldn't find you."

He turned to look at her and he started to say, "Umbra-" before she cut him off with a smile and her usual energy.

"Solstice yeah, I know. You okay? Do I need to get you some medicine? Echo probably has some on him. You know him." The dark grey female alicorn beamed at him, her black mane flowing. When he tried to speak up she cut him off again, "Look, Gold, you have to take care of yourself. You always have our back, so let us have yours, ya dummy!" He again opened his mouth just to have her cut him off again, "I'm saying that you always try to make sure you are there when we need you but you never stop to think that if you don't show a bit of restraint you won't be in any CONDITION to help us when we need you." She got an odd look on her face before her appearance began to change. She was wearing an odd mask made of bone with strange markings and a spot for her horn. The mask was almost batlike in shape and she was covered with a cloak made of thick black fur.

The new form of her spoke with the same energy but seemed to be different than the one that was just speaking. "This is unexpected, but I'm glad I finally found you." Golden paused, poking the mask curiously with his hoof before the mare behind the mask sighed, "Are you done poking my ceremonial mask?" He drew his hoof back in surprise. "You are finally waking up to the world." She reached out and ran her hoof over his coat, "Just as selfless as you ever were. You actually helped me to embrace my path by showing me that even the best of us need others to shine. A place to take our strength from. When you are there for others, they are there for you." She patted his head, "And when you give, others will repay you what you need." She cleared her throat, "When you wake up, look for me. There is much to tell and much to learn for both of us. Until then, Gold." She returned to her past self who seemed surprised and then shrugged and winked.

Golden stared in disbelief at this and asked, "What just happened?"

The figure in front of him sighed as if updated with some new information, "You aren't alone. And I don't just mean her or the others. Even your new perspective isn't unique to you and you haven't been forgotten. So, wake up! Accept the help of those close to you and never forget that we will never forget you."

Golden nodded, not sure this went as originally intended as Umbra nodded and flew off into the snow singing along to the song for her part, sounding almost like a punk rock singer. Golden couldn't help but shake his head in disbelief. So, some of them were still alive. At least one of them is still looking for him. As he thought about this he looked again at the library. Was Stardust looking for him? He walked over to the door to it and paused. He stared at the door, a thousand questions going through his mind, but every time he reached for the door he hesitated. She had left, right? He met with her before and she disappeared. Was he already finished with her? He didn't want it to be that way.

He heard another voice singing, but this one was soft and familiar. Going to investigate only to see a redish-purple alicorn tending to a rose sticking out of the snow. He chuckled to himself, "Of course you would be here, Posie Rose." As he got closer her colors seemed to fade a little, even her once vibrant violet mane had become a faded purple. As he got closer, the words to her song became clear:

Right here in the garden

You will always find me

Tending to the flowers for eternity

Right here in the garden

Where the time is frozen

The flowers keep on growing, so much I can tend

Every day

Just like I left it

Every day

But they keep changing

Growing beyond me

Ever so slightly

Such little things

Every Day

Right before it could continue he cleared his throat and asked, "How has it been, Rose?"

She didn't look at him but seemed to be having what came across as a well practiced conversation for her part, "Just tending to the garden, waiting for you all to come back. Where have you been?"

Golden again could feel something was off about this but he continued, responding in a way he knew would tickle his old friend, "Well, I went all power mad for a minute and seemed to think trapping myself in a dream was a good decision in response."

Posie Rose didn't look at him but jolted and after a second began to laugh, "That does sound like something you would do. You always took things too seriously. If what Dusty told me is true then you SO WOULD!" She seemed to laugh a bit more to this before calming down, her tone distant and sad, "And it would explain why you never came. Still, I'm sure that everyone is just busy. Give them enough time and I'm sure they will be here. After all, without friends to laugh with, to celebrate with, what do we have to look forward to? It is all those little things that make life beautiful, like these flowers. The little things that get ignored when you are going about your day, but make all the difference." She sighed and went back to singing her song and tending to the flower, fading from view as her song, while unique, joined the rest of the voices on the air.

He stared at the rose that was left behind, plucking it and taking a deep smell, the smell seeming to fill this phantom city as he did, the scent being nostalgic but impossible for him to place. He sat for a minute as he stared at the door for awhile longer. Was he taking this too seriously? He had just made one honest mistake. An impulsive decision made to protect his friends and his people made worse by a second even more impulsive decision. Maybe this was all because he had let this get away from him. Let the stress and his fears control him. Taking a deep breath he opened the library door.

As he did, he saw her sitting there quietly staring at the table. As he tried to get closer she turned to face him, her eyes striking him with a force he wasn't expecting. "Why didn't you tell us what was going on? Why did you leave us behind when you went to take care of that? Why didn't you tell us what happened?" He stood there quietly, knowing this tone and knowing that he deserved the chewing out he was getting. After a pause she sighed as she continued, "You knew better than any of us that the Tree didn't just give us this new power and new shapes. It bound us together. You were always there when we needed you, propping us up when we fell and giving us something we could count on. But when you needed us most, you abandoned us." She glared at him, "You abandoned me." She turned to walk away, the room growing colder, "But it is okay. Because you are here with me now, so please, never abandon me again. Stay with me until the end of all things." He got chills before she walked across the library and seemingly disappeared in an instant, snow now covering the desks and shelves of the library.

He lingered again for a moment, allowing the cold to fill his body, reminding him of home. Reminding him of the past. As he stepped out, the colors were still there, but it was now covered in snow, tracks leading out to the edge of the Everfree. The forest, now covered in snow, seemed to call to him. Walking into it, he felt a fog set in through the branches, one that got thicker and thicker the further in he went. As he walked he could hear his own voice echoing around him, "Do you see now? You tried so hard to be there when they needed you. To be the loyal soldier. And when you couldn't live up to it, you became lost and in doing so you became doubly disloyal. First to your people and second to your friends. You failed friendship." He shook his head trying to disagree with what was being said but it shot him down, "You can't lie to me or to yourself. Not if you want to be free. You forgot a simple rule. One that you learned to anchor yourself, that carried you through boot camp and running the royal guard. Something they taught you." The fog parted as a constantly fluctuating version of himself stepped forward. Sometimes it looked like an Umbral pony, other times it looked like a sea pony, and every now and again it appeared as a human, "You failed to be loyal to yourself. To walk the path ahead of you with surety. You became unfocused. You hesitated."

He responded, "Are you telling me what I did was right? Was abusing this power, was becoming HIM really the right path?"

The figure stood resolute, "You walked the path put in front of you. You protected the Tree of Harmony and all of Equestria. We say that it was a difficult choice. But if you stayed loyal to yourself and your way, he never would have come. He was born of doubt and fear. You became him because you betrayed yourself. Our path is one that can only be walked when we are loyal to ourselves and what we stand for. This is what unites us."

He stared for a minute as Absolute Justice stepped out of the fog, seeming to flicker himself, occasionally appearing as the first figure. "Do you understand the power we hold? What we could become? Does it scare you? Or excite and entice you? It doesn't matter, as I will always be here, no matter how hard you try to destroy me."

Golden stamped his hoof as he growled, "You are nothing! Just one of many options fading into oblivion!"

The first figure smiled and nodded, "A single shard of infinity that dies and is reborn for every instant of time. The path forward is one of your choice and one you can only walk when you remain loyal to yourself. Choose your path and stay to it. Only then will you be able to walk atop the sands of infinity as the grains slide into oblivion."

Golden watched as Absolute stepped into the first figure and became just another face in the endless shuffle of this figure. Staring long enough into it he took a deep breath. "If what you say is true, then there is only one path ahead." That was right. He had to find them.

The figure laughed, "And what path would that be? Conqueror? Prisoner? Reclaimer?" It shook its head as it slowed down in its flicker and stopped as a mirror of him, "As if I need to ask. We need to find them, just like she told us. First we take our lumps from the current rulers, and then we find them. Find them all." The both nodded to eachother and as Golden stepped forward, the figure turned away. As Golden walked through it, he could feel it rejoin with him, its power flowing through him. The fog didn't part, but he could see the tree shining a light for him. A light home. He walked towards it, feeling reality peel back around him, moving like water as he stepped through the fog. As his hooves touched down on true dirt with his true body for the first time in years, he felt his legs give out, his eyes growing heavy before he eventually blacked out.

When he next opened his eyes, he saw a nurse pony standing over him. He raised a brow at her which caused her to call into the next room. "He moved his eyebrow! I think he is in there!"

He sat up and grumbled, "What is the big deal? I mean, of course I'm alive."

She turned with a shocked look and with even more excitement shouted, "He has finally broken the coma!"

He was about to ask what she meant when Pinkie burst into the room with the brightest happiest smile and sparkling eyes he had ever seen. "I told you the bacon would do it!" She shoved a bacon cupcake into his mouth which caused him to swallow reflexively, cough because of the dry cupcake, and then nod as the flavors settled into his mouth. "I told them you just needed to sleep, but no one listens to me!"

He chuckled as he shook his head, "Well, How long was I out for, Pinkie? Cause I think Coma is a bit strong for a nap."

She waved her hoof to and fro and seemed to be counting for a minute before a familiar voice chuckled, "Two weeks, Golden Rune of Winteria." Pinkie ran back out the door and could be heard excitedly talking to others as Celestia walked into the room, "Or should I call you Cold Justice? You are a stallion of many names."

He looked at her with disinterest for a moment, asking, "How long did you know?"

She looked down and after a hesitant breath she said, "I read a few stories of what you had done as I grew up. My sister and I both. I used to think you were evil. And then, one day, I had to make the same decision." She looked at him with awkward embarrassment, "After I used the elements to banish Luna, I thought of your story and tried to learn from it. The deeper I dug the more I understood. Your regrets. Your fears." She walked closer and sat down next to his bed, "And then I found a series of notes in some of Star-Swirl's old books. Jotted in the margins. A spell to try and bring you back. But when you came to Ponyville, you didn't remember any of it. You were entirely different than the stories said, according to Twilight's report. So, I had you spend a day with the elements of harmony. I wanted to see if being around them would bring you back." She shook her head, "By the time I came to visit, you were still in denial of who you were, so I had to undo the spell myself and send you back to your prison."

He sighed, "And then they saved Luna. And then Luna found out about my dream prison."

She nodded, "She was convinced that if you were in a prison of the mind that she could get you out and with you already having met the elements of harmony, they could help save you and banish whatever darkness was tormenting you." She looked at the ground distantly, as if she was wanting to say something but electing not to.

He spoke up again, "You wanted to leave me be. Let me live in my little prison where I would never have to face what had happened and never bother anyone else." When she nodded, he put a hoof on her shoulder, "Apparently, another friend of mine felt the same way, so you aren't alone, but I'm ready to face what I did."

Celestia jolted upright for a minute a sparkle appearing in her eye as he furrowed his brow. She turned to him, full regal face going on and stated, "Yes, you are, Golden Rune of Winteria!" She boomed, causing the worried Mane Six to poke their heads ever so slightly around the corner, "Your punishment shall be!" She leaned in close, her eyes filled with an odd joy despite the look of harsh judgment on her face, and then she... booped his snout. Her look of harsh judgment slowly melted with each boop to his nose as his face seemed to grow more sour until they both broke out laughing. As the Mane Six stared in disbelief, Celestia eventually recovered herself, "I've been where you were, and a decision like that is its own punishment, Golden. Just finish recovering and then we can talk further about how you can help Equestria."

He recovered and eventually shook his head, "That was funny, but no. I have something I need to take care of. Loose ends to tie up." He tried to finish collecting himself with limited success. "May I have full access to the Canterlot Library, Princess Celestia? If you found notes to bring me back, I'm sure there are other bread crumbs I will need."

Celestia nodded, "Absolutely, and you can call me Celestia or any version of it. And just for the record..." She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Speaking from experience, keep that sense of humor. It will keep you from expecting too much from yourself or taking yourself too seriously." She pulled her head back with a smile, "Okay? Good! Your punishment boops have been delivered so I am done here. If you ever want to talk, I will be glad to make time for you." The two nodded and she left the room to the disbelieving eyes of the watching mares.

Dash scratched her head and stated, "I don't think I will ever understand her." Applejack tapped her as the elements came into the room, all of them looking at him with even more confusion, all but Pinkie who seemed to be bouncing around the room, collecting all the sweets that she had baked for him and insisting that he eat them. Dash chuckled, "Luna is still mad you bailed on us. You are SO going to have to apologize."

He was about to speak when Applejack spoke up, "I'm sure you had your reasons, sugar. But you had us scared. If Twi hadn't thought to check the woods, you might have been Ursa chow."

Rarity laughed a little, "Ah, yes, the rescue. Well, we nearly didn't recognize you with your new colors, but those eyes and that muzzle are unmistakeable."

He held out his hoof as if to pause all talking as he closed his eyes with mild disbelief. "Let me guess, Yellow hide, black stripes like a zebra?"

Twilight tilted her head in disbelief, "You haven't looked yet? I figured you would be worried because you have been in that dream prison for so long." He chuckled and shook his head, not wanting to tell her the story of where he went.

Shy smiled and spoke softly, "Well, I think you wear it well. Even your gold and blue mane fits you well."

He looked at her, at first as if he was about to poke fun at her for talking like he had chosen these colors, but she looked too proud of herself and too gentle for him to pop her bubble. Instead he nodded and grumbled, "Thank you for the compliment, Fluttershy."

Pinkie asked, "Are you actually going to eat my cooking, Goldy, or will I have to cram them into your face and make you chew?" She seemed borderline angry, so he picked up a cookie and ate it, seeing Pinkie's face light up again as she went back to her place among the six. "Sorry that there isn't any kingdoms left to rule right now, but I'm sure you could stay in ponyville when you are feeling better."

He shook his head, "Sorry, girls. I have to track down some old friends. You will have to make due without me. But I'm sure you've got this." He smiled gently at all of them and was glad to get smiles in return. The conversation between the girls went with limited additions from him as the time went by. Eventually they left Golden to his bed, and as he lay there, his eyes drifted to the window, which he stared out of at the stars all night.


End file.
